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Real Madrid breathed new life into the Spanish title race when
they produced their best performance of the season to claim a 4-2
victory at home to league leaders and arch-rivals Barcelona on
Sunday.

First-half strikes from Zinedine Zidane, Raul and Ronaldo and a
superbly taken effort from Michael Owen midway through the second
secured Real an enthralling win at the Bernabeu that left them six
points behind the Catalans with seven games left.

Barca suffered what could prove to be an even more important
blow when leading striker Samuel Eto'o left the pitch with a knee
injury late in the game.

Earlier Sevilla moved up into third place, a distant 11 points
behind Real, after a 3-1 victory over fellow high-flyers Espanyol,
while Villarreal are in fourth with a game in hand after scrambling
a 1-1 draw away to Deportivo Coruna in the late match.

At the other end of the table Osasuna eased their relegation
worries after gaining their first win in 13 games and their first
since the start of the year with a 1-0 victory at home to Racing
Santander.

Real Mallorca and Albacete, however, were left staring
relegation in the face after respective defeats at Real Zaragoza
and Getafe. The two sides are now 10 points adrift of safety with
just seven games left to play.

Knowing that nothing less than victory would keep alive their
hopes of depriving Barca of the title, Real flooded forward in
attack from the first whistle and were rewarded with a two-goal
lead inside the first 20 minutes.

Zidane helped himself to the first when he scored with a diving
header after Ronaldo had skipped his way down the right-hand side
of the area, looked up and dinked a neat cross towards the far
post.

Real made it 2-0 when the unmarked Ronaldo ended his recent
scoring drought with a simple header at the far post after Beckham
had sent a trademark free kick into the box.

The second setback sparked Barca into a response and Mexican
midfielder Rafael Marquez went close with a bullet header from a
corner before former Real player Eto'o continued his prolific
scoring record against his old club.

The African Player of the Year exchanged a one-two with Xavi,
scorched past Ivan Helguera and Roberto Carlos and then netted with
a deft finish with the outside of his foot.

Barca took control for the next 15 minutes and could have got
back on level terms but Iker Casillas produced a fine reflex save
to deny Giovanni van Bronckhorst and Beckham slid in with a
last-ditch challenge to dispossess Eto'o.

But it was Real who hit Barca once again on the stroke of
half-time when Raul stabbed in under Victor Valdes at the near post
after Roberto Carlos had steamed down the left wing and cut back a
pass into the area.

Barca had a number of chances to narrow Real's lead but a
combination of some top class keeping from Casillas and some
desperate last-ditch defending kept the Catalans at bay.

Real went 4-1 up when England striker Owen notched up his 11th
league goal of the season after latching on to a superb
through-ball from Beckham, controlling with his shin and then
steering the ball coolly past Valdes.

There was no relenting in the breathless pace, however, and
Barca had a strong penalty appeal turned down when substitute Maxi
Lopez was brought down by Roberto Carlos in the area.

Ronaldinho then fooled Casillas with a sweetly struck free kick
from the edge of the area 17 minutes from time but his side were
unable to narrow Real's lead any further.